Planning panel dismisses eco-town plans

30 September 2009

The proposed location of an eco-town near Stratford upon Avon would make it unsustainable, according to planning inspectors.

A report from the public examination of the draft west midlands regional spatial strategy – setting out how much development there should be in the area up until 2026 - was published earlier this week.

The panel decided the area needs 398,000 homes - more than the 365,000 proposed by the West Midlands Regional Assembly in the strategy.

The panel members said the plans for the Middle Quinton eco-town would provide more homes than they suggest, but concluded: ‘The location of this proposed eco-town would render it of very doubtful sustainability.’

Protestors against the eco-town say affordable housing is needed across the area not in one concentrated remote location.

The panel also decided ‘advantages in terms of green construction’ would not be ‘greater than those deliverable in any new settlement or urban extension’ because they would not be built until after 2016.

‘All will be required to be eco-suburbs or developments by that time under the government’s timetable for achieving the more sustainable homes, zero carbon development being required by 2016,’ the planning inspectors noted.

David Bliss, chair of the campaigning group the BARD, said: ‘It’s a victory for common sense. Let’s hope the government now accepts this report as the final nail in Middle Quinton’s coffin.’

Mark Middleton, director of policy at the regional assembly, said: ‘An eco-town in Middle Quinton would only draw people out of the major urban areas and undermine our efforts to support urban renaissance.’

Middle Quinton was not one of the four eco-town proposals approved by the government earlier in the year, but remains in the running for future rounds of the programme.

A Communities and Local Government department spokesperson said: ‘No final decisions have been taken on the west midlands plan or the proposals for an eco-town at Middle Quinton.’

The proposed changes to the regional spatial strategy are due by December this year. It is likely be approved by the secretary of state next year.

Further Reports:

Regen.net: Inquiry recommends Warwickshire eco-town is dropped

Building: West Midlands eco-town fails sustainability checks